Self-Expanding Guide Wire with Integrated Feedback Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current guide wire placement methods in vascular procedures often result in unintended placement, leading to potential bodily injury due to the lack of safe and precise positioning, especially without the use of adjunctive imaging tools.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that provide visible, tactile, and spatial feedback to operators for safe guide wire placement, utilizing self-expanding loops with radio-opaque markers, electronic sensors, radiofrequency identification tags, and external magnets to ensure accurate positioning within blood vessels, reducing reliance on imaging tools like fluoroscopy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional guide wire placement methods are used without imaging guidance, then procedural time is reduced and device complexity is minimized, but placement precision and safety deteriorate due to inability to confirm correct position
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire system provides its own positioning feedback through integrated sensors and visual indicators that automatically indicate when the wire is correctly positioned in the target vessel, eliminating the need for external imaging tools while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and visual indicators that provide real-time feedback to the operator about the guide wire's position within the vessel, allowing precise placement confirmation without requiring fluoroscopy or other imaging equipment
2Device complexity
If traditional guide wire placement without imaging tools is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of inadvertent placement in side branches or diseased segments
Solution Approach 1:
Integrated sensors and visual indicators provide real-time feedback to the operator about the guide wire's position, allowing immediate detection and correction of inadvertent placement in side branches or diseased segments without requiring external imaging equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the need for external imaging systems (fluoroscopy, ultrasound) with an integrated sensor-based feedback system that provides positioning information directly through the guide wire itself, reducing overall system complexity while improving safety
3Measurement precision
If imaging tools like fluoroscopy are used for guide wire placement, then placement precision is improved, but device complexity and procedural time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the imaging function from external equipment and integrates it directly into the guide wire system through embedded sensors and visual indicators, eliminating the need for separate fluoroscopy or ultrasound equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire system performs multiple functions including positioning, sensing, and visual indication within a single integrated device, replacing the need for separate imaging equipment and reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A guide wire that has an atraumatic and flexible loop that expands within a vessel, with indicators that indicate the degree of expansion. The indicators are used to determine the degree of expansion through the use of radio-opaque markers, hydraulic, and electrical signals. The guide wire enables safe passage into target vessels while providing user feedback on inadvertent passage into side branches and diseased segments.